RAD LIFE

Most people born in the nineties would be familiar with author Andy Griffiths who is best known for his JUST!books and The Day My Bum Went Psycho. With more than 25 publications, including short stories, nonsense verse, picture books, plays and a creative writing guide for students and teachers, he is one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors. Andy’s books have won more than 50 Australian children’s choice awards and have been adapted for stage and television.

At this year’s WOMADelaide we had the pleasure of hearing Andy presenting his Treehouse Story Sessions as well as offering book signings in KidZone on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of WOMADelaide.

On the Saturday he offered a reading from his imaginative trilogy, The Adventures of The Dog Poo Family, entertaining the crowd with ultimate insults like “you stink” and “you look like you came out of a dog’s bottom”.

The children in the KidsZone were oftentimes a tough crowd. When Andy asks whether we’d like to hear another reading, an insolent child screams “NO!” but Andy soldiers on. Andy also tells us about his love for books and how his career as a nonsense short story writer and comic novelist began.

During Andy’s question time, as bubbles swirled around us in the air (compliments of a bubble-blower on stilts) adding to the magical atmosphere of WOMADelaide, an inspired child asks Andy whether he “has ever made a pizza with hair on it?”

Andy’s joking reply: “No, Stupid.” And we all learn that he really is a lovely man.

An entertaining addition to WOMADelaide 2015 which was enjoyable for the whole family, Andy Griffiths showed us his creative sense of humour and proved to us why he is such a well-loved Australian author.